With only a pistol and lucky shirt to
his name, Mud (Matthew McConaughey) requires just about all the help he can
get. Taking shelter on an island where, by happenstance, a boat is lodged in
between tree trunks, Mud is the guy who gingerly strolls into the lives of
Ellis and Neckbone with calculated charisma. His disheveled demeanor pulls the
characters of Mud and the audience in
what amounts to a very traditionally-designed American film. Jeff Nichols’
third feature firmly establishes him as a director molded by the kind of
American films like Martin Ritt’s Hud and
Peter Bogdanovich’s The Last Picture Show
– with Mud being of comparable merit.

In the wake of Nichols’ previous films,
Shotgun Stories and Take Shelter, he has shown a steady
inclination and dependency for plotting. Shotgun
Stories was hailed for its ruminative and pensive idling but in effect
spread its narrative devices fairly thin. Take
Shelter was something more internalizing though adopted a clearer structure
with Michael Shannon’s lead performance providing the film his now trademark
capriciousness. Mud is very structured in its narrative
development and sequences of events. From the discovery of Mud’s tree-boat
squatting to Ellis providing the drifter with help, the linearity of the film’s
structure is at both times commendable and disappointing. There’s a lingering
sense throughout much of the picture that all is not what it seems, especially
as Ellis contends with a disintegrating family and social life. It all comes as
a bit of a shock as when it is discovered that virtually all the information
that Mud provides to his young partners is true. This might have something to
do with Matthew McConaughey’s performance and the imagery evoked of Mud.

It’s been a topic of discussion now for
the past year following performances in Magic
Mike and Bernie – McConaughey has
evolved into something of a Robert Mitchum-type of actor whose commanding
presence is the result of some sort of smarmy charisma. His performance in Mud is layered in its provocations of
love and the naivety that comes with it. With much of the Mud’s imagery depicting the Mississippi River with mythic
reverence, the sense that there is something lying beneath is perhaps what led
me to believe the picture would detour into some sort of “moment of truth”
realization.

What the film does portend is a sense
of unity amongst men and to aspire for values that befit communal living. It
functions in interesting contrast to Nichols’ prior work, Take Shelter, as that was a film that attempted to reconcile a man’s
growing mental instability for the safety and benefit of those around him. And
perhaps to a fault, this dichotomy hinders an otherwise flawless cinematic
experience. Mud’s male perspective is
simply too one-sided – at times registering as jaded. This becomes the case
when viewing Ellis’ family life, where his mother and father are afforded
varied screen time. Despite this nagging issue that I had with Mud, it remains an efficient, lean, and
suspenseful coming-of-age story elevated by what is the best performance of the
year thus far.